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Overall Objectives
To build organizational and networking capacity of SMEs in
Orissa.
To facilitate adoption of best practices and market-driven
approach in production planning, technology, quality control, and
marketing by SMEs in Orissa.
To reinforce a sustainable process of collaboration between
EU-India SMEs towards business development.
Relevancy
A process of
empowerment of the SMEs in terms of skill and competency has been realized
to be of great necessity. The SMEs in Orissa are to a large extent not
managed very effectively. The top managers need to update their knowledge
base and improve upon their potentiality. Thus, the priority of the program
is empowerment.
The industries
play a crucial role in employment generation and economic growth of the
state. Building capacities in top managers of the industries means a
significant move towards economic reform. The present project is an
initiative towards achieving a broader goal of economic reform and
sustainable development.
Capacity
Building Training Programs
All training
programs will be interactive and participatory in nature. The faculty
members of the Centre for Management Studies will act as the resource
persons.
The training
manual prepared on the basis of the outcomes of Needs Assessment Study will
be the basis for imparting training. The method of transaction of the
curricular contents will correspond to group discussions, case presentations
and analysis, power-point presentations and problem-solutions.
Training
programs include two top managers of selected 100 SMEs. There will be 10
training events, each covering 20 participants from 10 SMEs. The duration of
the course is 5 days, and it is residential in nature.
Each of the
participants will receive a training handbook and other related resource
materials.
Interface
Workshops
The
participants from industry will interact with the government officials and
academicians on problems and issues they usually encounter, and seek
guidance for remedial actions. While the government officials inform and
explain policy guidelines and their implications for economic reform, the
academicians shall provide data and methodology for product quality
improvement, tie-up with foreign SMEs, marketing strategy, etc.
Each interface
workshop includes 20 participants from the SMEs, 5 government officials from
the industry-related departments, and 5 academicians from reputed
technical institutions. There are 10 interface workshops of two days
duration each.
Information
Dissemination
With a dual
purpose of follow-up of earlier actions, and to motivate the SMEs to focus
on networking/collaboration/partnership, a number of printed materials shall
be prepared and distributed to the SMEs, academic bodies and government
institution, such as: brochures and booklets. This will also be an
initiative for policy advocacy.
Regional,
National and International Workshops
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A Regional Workshop on Economic Reform and Globalization will be organized
at Bhubaneswar. The participants will include 30 SMEs of Orissa, 15 SMEs of
neighboring states (e.g., Bihar, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh); and about
8 representatives of government institutions, and 7 academicians.
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A three day national workshop shall include 5 SME participants each from
seven states (e.g., Maharastra, Gujrat, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra
Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar). Besides there will be 10 academicians and 10
government officials interacting with SMEs. This national workshop will
explore possibilities of national level networks for greater economic
benefits, and to make policy advocacy in favor of EU-India collaboration.
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A three day international workshop will include 20 SME representatives from
Orissa, 15 from other states and 10 from EU countries. Method of conduction
of the event will be entirely participatory. The participating SMEs will
present their profiles and explore possibilities of collaboration.
Proceedings of the earlier workshops will be placed before them to get more
clarified about policies and prospects. Possibilities for collaboration
between Orissa SMEs and SMEs from EU countries will be explored here.
Exposure Trip
to EU Countries
The exposure
trip for Orissa SMEs to EU Countries shall be for two weeks for 10 top
managers of 10 potential SMEs. The purpose is to learn about new
technologies and marketing strategies, and to explore possibilities of
tie-ups or partnerships or collaboration.
FLOW OF ACTION
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INDIA
DEVELOPMENT MARKET PLACE AWARD 2007
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The World Bank’s
Development Marketplace (DM) is indeed a laudable step in identifying
and nurturing social innovations across the globe. The India Development
Marketplace is a joint effort between the World Bank’s New Delhi office
and its partners which seeks to identify and support creative,
small-scale development projects in India that are sustainable and have
the potential to be scaled up or replicated.
The first India
Development Marketplace (IDM) was held in 2004 and sought proposals
under the theme: ‘Improving Rural Services Access and Quality’. The
second India Development Marketplace 2007 was held in March 2007. It
centered on the theme, ‘Management and Protection of Natural Resources’.
It was designed to stimulate thinking in the community on conserving and
efficiently managing precious natural resources, some of which may be
living on borrowed time.
Such an initiative
from the World Bank assumes significance, considering the fact that in
developing countries like India, support for such innovative
projects/programs especially by institutional agencies is still at a
nascent stage and requires a lot of mindset and attitudinal change.
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In the
year 2005, CMS successfully executed an EU-funded project on Capacity
Building of 100 SMEs in Orissa. Riding on its success,
CMS has applied for the World Bank IDM award, with an aim to
develop the livelihood of the rural population, especially women,
residing in the villages surrounding its campus.
The idea was to create some self-sustainable livelihood activities for
the communities residing in Jatni block of Khurda district of Orissa.
These activities would not only contribute positively towards
empowerment of rural women but also would enhance their social status,
and decrease their dependence on the income of male family members.
Jatni block has a lush vegetation of cashew plant. Though cashew nut
is considered to be a highly profitable crop, the cashew apple is
treated as a waste in this area. Because, the people of this region are
unaware about the worthiness of this fruit, especially its food value.
Every year some four/five thousand women of the area are employed for
collection of cashew nuts. But these women do not have any knowledge
regarding the use of cashew apple to prepare juice, jam, jelly, etc.
No visible effort of any kind has been undertaken by any state or
national level agency or institution so far in Orissa, in order to
exploit the commercial as well as food value of cashew apples. This fact
provided an opportunity to CMS to prepare these assetless rural women to
undertake highly profitable business by making little investment and
using cashew apple as a raw material, which in these areas has no cost.
IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
With the IDM 2007 award grant, this project took off from July 2007,
with the following objectives:
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To build capacities of village women with technical know-how on
production and marketing of cashew apple juice towards sustainable
livelihood.
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To assist them in establishing production facilities in the
villages, and to link them up with credit institutions and marketing
agencies.
The implementation plan included selection of 100 women from the
nearby panchayats/villages (viz., Mundal, Jamukoli, Ashrayapur,
Niranjanpur, and Panchagan) and make them undergo a systematic training
program. Their exposure to a three month training would equip them with
knowledge about the value of Cashew Apple; the skills required for
collection, production, packaging and marketing of the juice, and
management of the group enterprise activities.
Selection of Participants
The selection of participants included visiting nearby villages,
meeting the local SHG groups, community leaders, local village heads,
PRI representatives and also individuals who expressed interest to
undergo training. This project being first of its kind in this area,
didn’t get acceptance at first from the rural women. It was over a
series of meetings with different groups, we were able to counter their
resistance.
As most of them belong to poor families, they were really
apprehensive about believing in the novelty of this project. After long
consultations and discussions, 104 women from six villages were
selected. The age of participants varied from 18 years to 45 years.
Similarly their educational background also varied from 9th class pass
to graduates.
Conduction of the Training
The training program was divided into two phases. The first phase of
two months was entirely classroom coaching on management of group
enterprises, including procurement of raw materials, processing,
packaging, marketing and finance management. The second phase of one
month was practical training to learn and make cashew apple juice and
other products.
The topics covered in the first phases of training were divided into
two major categories: Technical, which included production and packaging
of the product; and Managerial, which included marketing, finance and
management of group enterprise activities.
The managerial part was taught by faculties of CMS who are quite
adept at handling such programs. For the technical part, food
technologists from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology were
invited.
The Training Handbook
The training handbook contained 4 modules:
Module I - carried short
description of the utility of cashew apple, its nutritive value; how to
collect and prepare ready to serve juice, and other delicacies like jam
and jelly.
Module II - carried ideas and
guidelines for effective marketing of cashew apple products. Topics
dealt in this module explained 4Ps of marketing.
Module III - dealt with the
investment and fund required to set up an unit for production and
marketing of cashew apple products. The module explained the types of
capital requirement and the sources of finance.
Module IV - explained the
procedures of keeping accounts of income and expenditure and how to
calculate the profit.
The handbook carried colorful illustrations to reinforce learning and
acquire skills described through short and simple texts.
Training Methodology
The training process adopted a participatory style of
teaching-learning, using tools like lecture-demonstration, group
discussion and exercises through quiz and case analysis. To clarify
queries of the participants, the resource persons spent a lot of time in
discussing personal queries, sometimes beyond the topics.
The training was visibly effective from the trainees’ punctuality and
level of participation. It was in the everyday recap sessions, a sense
of competition to narrate the previous day’s coverage was seen from
large majority of participants.
The group and quiz sessions were also interesting and effective as
every one was taking part with full energy.
Practical Training
The second phase practical training started after a gap of two weeks.
The basic activities during this phase were broadly divided into
collection of fruits, preparation or production of juice, squash, jam,
etc.; sterilization of bottles, capping, labeling, pricing, etc.
Collection of fruits - The
trainees were instructed to pick up ripened and juicy red fruits as
these will yield more juice and pulp.
Bottle sterilization - The bottles and caps were first washed with
cold water. Then they were placed in a pan filled with water. The water
was heated till it reached boiling temperature. It was allowed to cool.
The bottles were thus made ready for filling up.
Juice preparation - Fruits meant
for juice and squash preparation were cut into small pieces. These
pieces were then put into the juicer to extract juice. The juice thus
extracted was then measured and stored in a pan where it was allowed to
settle after addition of PVP for tannin removal. Then, the clear juice
was decanted; water was added to the juice in the ratio of 4:1 along
with sugar. It was kept to boil. The consistency of the mixture was
tested from time to time by the help of a refractometer. Other chemicals
such as citric acid and KMS were added for the purpose of preservation.
The cooled juice was then filled up into sterilized bottles and capped.
The capped bottles were again kept in a pan of boiling water for 15
minutes to sterilize further. After cooling labels were pasted.
Jam preparation - Small pieces of
cashew apple were put into the pulper in order to prepare the pulp. The
pulp was then put to boil in a pressure cooker. After proper boiling,
sugar was added to it in the ratio of 1: 0.8 and allowed to boil.
Preservative was added and consistency was checked, and it was allowed
to cool. Then the jam thus prepared was put into bottles and cap sealed;
and lables pasted.
By repeatedly doing this practical exercise, the participants gained
the desired level of competency.
MENTORING
A further phase of mentoring for two months or more would help
trainees establish their own production units, and establish linkages
with credit institutions, and marketing agencies.
Establishment and sustainability of small village-based enterprises
will depend a lot on availability of credit facilities, proper business
linkages and thorough follow-ups.
Once a few groups of women become successful in their endeavour, they
would influence others to join them. Women, who have been trained, can
become trainers to their peers in the future.
for more details
please contact:
Centre for Management Studies
Nabajyoti Vihar, Nijigarh Kurki, Harirajpur PO, Jatani 752050, Orissa
Tel: 91-674-3299601, Mobile:
9338232569
E-mail:
principal@cms-education.org
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